Patriots' Edelman has come a long way since the summer of 2009

Monday

Jul 28, 2014 at 9:52 PMJul 29, 2014 at 9:32 AM

Julian Edelman has some not-so-fond memories of his early days in New England. Now, though, the wide receiver, who has come a long way, looks to continue to build on what was easily a career season in 2013.

“You guys remember when I was a rookie,” Edelman told the media following Sunday’s training camp practice on the fields behind Gillette Stadium, “when I was bobbling the ball everywhere, getting booed by the crowd.”

Who could ever forget Edelman’s summer of 2009?

A seventh-round draft pick trying to make the transition from college quarterback (at Kent State University) to wide receiver-returner in the pros, virtually every punt Edelman’s way in his initial training camp with the Patriots wasn’t just a job it was an adventure.

Five years later, Edelman sure has come a long way since those gory days.

Now he’s coming off a career season that earned him an extended stay in these parts.

“I’ve been here for a few years, but you’re not really worried about that kind of stuff,” said Edelman. “As you know, it’s an unpredictable business and I’m just trying to go out there in my role and do what I can to improve every day and help this team.”

Depending upon how things unfold this summer, in addition to lining up at wide receiver that role may or may not include returning punts – a chore he has rebounded to perform in the NFL at a high level since his struggles five summers ago.

“I love returning punts,” said Edelman, who has performed the task to the tune of a 12.3-yard average on 107 punt returns, making him one of just eight NFL players to average better than 12 yards (on a minimum 75 returns) over his career. “That’s a part of the game that’s given me an opportunity to make this team.

“I love returning punts and I love (special teams) Coach (Scott) O’Brien. I love the scheme. I love all that stuff. I want to do that. I would love to do that and if they ask me to do it I’m going to do it with a smile on my face.”

The 2013 season certainly gave Edelman good reason to smile as he capitalized on free agent Wes Welker’s departure for Denver by becoming Tom Brady’s favorite target, easily exceeding his totals to that point in his career (69 receptions for 714 yards and four touchdowns) by hauling in 105 passes for 1,056 yards and six TDs in a contract year.

“Little things like scheme and having that foundation of having that repetition with guys that you’ve played with for a couple of years, you’ve got to take that and try to continue to build off that,” Edelman said, looking ahead to the upcoming season. “But as far as results and all that stuff, that means nothing because this is a completely new year, we’re playing a completely new set of teams, even the same teams that we’re playing are new teams because they have different players, and right now we’re not even thinking about other teams. We’re thinking about what we have to do to improve our team.

“With that said, it’s just everyone trying to do their job, going out there as an individual, working your tail off, taking things from the classroom, executing it in drills, taking it to 7-on-7 to 11-man and practice execution becomes game reality so it’s what you try to do.”

When the Patriots return to practice following Monday’s day off, Edelman will be looking to continue to lay a foundation following a year in which the cheers far outnumbered the boos he may have heard on the practice fields behind Gillette in that summer of 2009.

“Confidence is built through execution and in practice when you do it consistently,” said Edelman. “So when you’re out there and you’re consistently doing the right assignment, making a play, doing what you have to do at a high rate, that’s when you go out and you play your fastest and you play your most confident.”